


Eclipse

by Silvex



Series: Once in a Blue Moon [3]
Category: Persona 3
Genre: Everyone Needs A Hug, Gen, Persona 3: The Answer, Psychological Trauma, Separation Anxiety
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:21:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25007632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silvex/pseuds/Silvex
Summary: It takes a very special group of people, for their personal timelines to become a twisted pretzel without any idea that it's happening. SEES is anything but an ordinary group of people.Shinjiro thinks he has enough problems dealing with his mundane issues, without pulling the supernatural back into this. But everyone has a question they've asked, and this is a way they can get their answers.Maybe it'll make things worse. But it may also be just the thing that everyone needs.
Relationships: Amada Ken & Aragaki Shinjiro, Aragaki Shinjiro & Sanada Akihiko
Series: Once in a Blue Moon [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1716409
Comments: 2
Kudos: 31





	1. Chapter 1

_In general, this statement can be taken as true: Time travels in a straight line. It does not turn back, it does not loop around, and it does not twist itself into a pretzel. (In general, gods of time do not wander off with souls they were supposed to reap, either, but these things happen sometimes.)_

_The exceptions, such as they are, are rare enough that they hardly ever occur more than once in a human lifetime. Even when they do, it would take a stroke of incredible luck, good or bad, for the same people to be involved._

_People are not supposed to continually step outside of time. People aren’t supposed to do such things in a way they can fully remember._

_People aren’t supposed to be able to pull themselves outside of time._

_(But then, people aren’t supposed to come back from the dead, either.)_

* * *

  
  


It is the thirty-first of March, and things in the dormitory that used to act as a base of operations for SEES are… less than wonderful. A boy with poorly-cut dark blue hair sits at the edge of one of the sofas, watching as his old classmate sets yet another box full of papers at the edge of the wall.

“You’re keeping it here, then?”

“I have yet to be given any better suggestions,” Mitsuru replies, stepping back. “As difficult as it was to ensure the dorm remained available to us, I at least know I can trust you with this. I’ve asked Aigis to think of it as her next assignment.”

She probably would appreciate that. The past couple of months had left her listless, unable to think of any sort of purpose for herself. (Not that he has any real room to talk, there. He’s currently too stuck on the fact that he has a life to be figuring out what to do with it.)

“I guess that explains why she seems happier now.” Not by all that much, but enough to be noticeable, and from Aigis, that’s basically the same as shouting her jubilation from the rooftop. “Still leaves the question of what’s going to happen to it after this year, but…” Well. Maybe she can figure out something else by then. A year’s a long time. (Even a week can be, as recent events have proven.) “...You know when the others are getting back?”

“Yukari said she wouldn’t be getting here until late, if she has the time to come at all.” As if they don’t both know she’s just continuing to avoid him. “The others should all be here, except maybe Akihiko, but you’d know more about that than I would.”

“What makes you think that?”

She glares at him. “Shinjiro.”

“...Fine. He’ll be showing up later. Wasn’t going to, but I talked him into it.” Convincing Aki to make time for him is a lot easier than it used to be, but then, it’s not like he doesn’t know why.

“...You bribed him with food.” Well, yes, partially, but he’s not about to admit to it out loud!

“If you didn’t want me to do that, you shouldn’t have asked for my opinion about sushi.” Sometimes, Mitsuru is great at being subtle. Other times, she really isn’t. Shinjiro’s not sure how there can be so much of a disparity, but maybe that’s just what happens when someone grows up with mind-control powers that only work a quarter of the time. (And if that’s the case, he completely understands. His powers mean that things that should harm him bounce off half the time. It’s just that it tends to happen when it’ll just make things worse, and when he actually needs it… well. That’s how he ended up in this situation.)

“...Sometimes, I don’t know how I ever became friends with you.”

“We bonded over Aki being a living heart attack whose answer to everything was lightning.”

“...Of course. How could I forget?”

* * *

  
  


It’s been a long time, since so many of them were gathered in the same room like this. Shinjiro’s pretty sure it hasn’t been this way since graduation, when he had no choice but to reveal himself if he wanted any chance of living as himself, rather than Arisato. (It’s still only with them, but it’s better than nothing.)

Even now, Takeba’s missing. She’ll probably show up at some point, but… not tonight, apparently.

It’s really that much of a surprise, thinking about it. She’s always taken things involving Arisato more personally than anyone else. Out of the entire harem that Shinjiro has yet to mention to anyone, she was easily the most attached to him, with the possible exception of Aigis.

Ken glances at the boxes lining the walls. “Is that…?”

“The remnants of my family’s research to do with Shadows,” Mitsuru confirms. “I don’t know if there will ever be a use for it, but it’s not safe to let it go forgotten. Even if it’s also unsafe for those previously involved to remember it.”

“So we’re just going to… keep it here?” Yamagishi doesn’t sound entirely sure about this.

“I am sure it will be fine,” Aigis states. “I will be here to protect it, as will any of you that continue living here.” Shinjiro wouldn’t be overly surprised if it ends up being just the two of them and Ken. None of them have anywhere else to go. (Well, okay, Arisato technically had relatives, but it doesn’t take much to figure out that could only end badly.)

It’s not like the others in their grade need to be living in this exact building to avoid their parents, after all, and Aki and Mitsuru… They’ll be off to university in Tokyo. Probably only come back during holidays, if at all.

It’s not that Shinjiro isn’t happy for them. It’s nice to know that they, at least, are making something of their lives. It’ll just… be weird, not being able to see them whenever he wants to. He honestly can’t remember the last time that Aki wasn’t around. (He’s not actually sure it’s ever happened before, not for as long as they’ve known each other.)

“...You can count me in,” Yamagishi decides. It takes effort for Shinjiro to not let out a sigh of relief. “At least… would we be allowed to look through it?”

Mitsuru shrugs. “I’m sure that you wouldn’t do anything to make me regret it.” Of course not. They lost so much trying to keep this world intact, they aren’t about to do anything to jeopardize it. They’ve won. It’s as simple as that.

...Right?

“...Is there any point in looking through it, though?” Ken asks. “It’s… not like we’d be able to use it for anything. All the Shadows are gone now, right?”

Aki shrugs. “It seems like it, but then, we can still use our Personas…” They haven’t actually tested to see if they can summon them. It’s just very implied from the casual use of their powers during February, even when most of them had no idea they were there. Not that they haven’t considered it. If Shinjiro never has to so much as look at an Evoker again, it’ll be too soon.

“Let’s not talk about that for right now,” He says. The longer they can all not touch that subject, the better. “The stuff will still be there after dinner. It’ll still be there for at least the next year. We’ve got time.”

“You’ve got time. I’m going to Tokyo.” He doesn’t mean anything by this. He knows this. It’s just that Shinjiro could really have done without the reminder.

“...That’s still weird to watch…” Iori states. “It just… feels like Minato should be sitting around and not saying anything.” (He’s right, of course. But what are they supposed to do about it? Arisato’s long gone.)

“I’m sorry I’m failing to live up to your expectations.” One of the benefits of having a hairstyle like a normal person is that it’s a lot easier to get the proper facial expressions across. “‘Fraid you’re stuck with me.” And, for better or for worse, he’s stuck with them, because they’re the only people who will ever be able to call him by name.

“For one reason or another,” Aigis finishes for him. This doesn’t actually help him feel better. “We… never did want to go very far in discussing theories.”

Iori blinks. “Why not?”

“Because I’m sure that, at one point or another, we’ve all been poster children for suicidal tendencies.” The words come out without Shinjiro fully meaning to say them. But then, that’s how conversations tend to happen, these days. “And that’s all we’re going to say about that.”

Nobody seems inclined to argue with him. Whether it’s because they know he has a point, or they’re afraid to argue against it, he’s not sure, and he doesn’t particularly care, either. As long as the subject doesn’t come up again. (As long as he doesn’t have to admit, to everyone at once, that out of all of them, he’s the only one who entered into the spiral of self-destruction and didn’t manage to pull himself out before it was too late. Well. Potentially the only one.)

Some days are better than others. Today started off all right, but at this point Shinjiro is wondering why he didn’t just stay in bed.

Mitsuru blinks, before visibly deciding to ignore his most recent statement. “So… would you all like something to eat?”

* * *

  
  


Shinjiro shouldn’t notice that it’s almost midnight, but he does. It’s sort of a reflex, after living for so long in a world with a tendency to dye itself green.

He knows it’s not going to do that tonight. It hasn’t done that for months, even if it’s taking time for him to get used to the idea. Because everything they’d gone through… that was the point of it all, wasn’t it? That that sort of thing simply won’t happen anymore?

And yet, when the clock strikes twelve, the world shifts. There’s no huge, visible change, nothing to explain this feeling…

And then the news comes on. And, somehow, it is the thirty-first of March once again.

He can't tell if this is better or worse than the thought of the Dark Hour coming back.

* * *

  
  


(Unseen to the rest of the room, a dark-skinned boy turns to a girl with flowers in her hair. “Don’t look at me,” He tells her. “I have had nothing to do with this.”)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I'm pretty sure the reason the P3/P4 casts minus FeMC were able to be pulled into Q2 is because they'd already been unstuck from time once before, and may or may not be part of why the Answer could happen, but... whatever you say, Zen.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things do not make more sense in the morning.
> 
> If anything, they only get worse.

_ At this point, Shinjiro is pretty sure that his dreams all follow the same formula. Fire, gunshots, losing control… if none of those show up in his dreams, it’s because he goes the night without dreaming at all. _

_ The ones not strictly based on past events are the worst ones. The things that have actually happened he can handle, some of the time. It’s the things that didn’t- Castor hurting Aki, being unable to get to Ken in time to save him- that’s he’s never been able to stand, and not just because elements of the other events tend to bleed into them. _

_ Those are the nights he doesn’t bother trying to get back to sleep again. _

_ Tonight, however, he’s not dealing with any of that. Tonight, it’s just him and a mirror. As per usual for his dreams, he actually looks like himself. His reflection is the same, minus the eyes. (And even they are sort of familiar, if he allows himself to think about it.) _

_ He blinks. He can’t tell if the reflection does so or not. “...Can I go back to getting shot now?” He doesn’t want to have to deal with this tonight. Or any night, really. _

_ Shinjiro’s reflection rolls his eyes. “Thought you’d have wanted a break from that.” _

_ “And this is much better? I’m done with this. I was done with this two and a half years ago. I wouldn’t want to go back to it even if I could pick up an Evoker without flinching.” _

_ “What if you don’t get a choice?” He’s been trying not to consider that option. _

_ He keeps thinking he’s left this stuff behind, but somehow it just keeps coming back. He can’t even say he’s surprised, at this point. _

_ “I’ll deal with that when we get there. If we get there.” He’s pretty sure they’re going to reach that point no matter what, that’s just how things tend to go, but he’d rather not think about that right now.” _

_ “...Suit yourself.” The room ripples and fades away. _

When Shinjiro wakes up, it’s still March thirty-first. He doesn’t know why he expected anything different.

* * *

  
  


Aigis hasn’t come downstairs yet. Nobody really thinks much of it. After all, there’s no school today, and she doesn’t eat, so why should she bother showing up for breakfast? She never has before.

Even when, by all rights, this should have been their last breakfast together. (It still might be. Shinjiro’s trying really hard not to think about that.)

“The date on my computer still says that it’s March thirty-first,” Yamagishi reports. “My phone says the same thing. Is it that way for the rest of you?”

Aki shrugs. “Haven’t checked yet.”

“Phone’s the same, not even going to bother looking at Arisato’s computer.” Shinjiro stuffs Arisato’s phone back in the pocket he normally keeps it in. “Not like I’ve been able to use it for anything.” He’s tried. Once he’s figured out how to explain a high school student paying for tech in cash, he’s just going to throw it out and get a new one. It’s that or try to work with a machine that demands an administrator password for everything when the administrator died without bothering to tell anyone what his password was.

“So it’s as if the world really has slipped back a day…” If Mitsuru were thinking any harder, the dormitory would be plummeting into a new, very localized ice age. (Wouldn’t even be the first time.) “...Except for us. Our physical locations, and the objects in this building, have not reset, even if the data on our electronic devices has.”

“...Maybe it’s something like the Dark Hour?” Ken suggests. “It might not do anything to us because of our Personas.”

“Could also just be us,” Shinjiro notes. “Not that there’s much of a difference, really.” He’s met all the Persona Users that live in Iwatodai, at least that would actually go out and do things with their powers. By the end, all of them were either aligned with SEES, or dead.

Or both. It turns out that there’s a surprising amount of room for both.

Aki sighs. “This still leaves the question of how we’re supposed to fix it.” Of course the first thing his mind jumps to is how to fix this mess. He’s always just moving from one thing to another. Never mind that none of them have any idea of if this is something that can be fixed.

Maybe, if they’re lucky, it’s just a glitch in time that will only happen the once. Shinjiro’s not going to place any bets on them being that lucky, if only because he’s still pretty sure his being alive is something that’s used up his entire supply of luck for at least the next year. He’s just not the sort of person who can ever catch a break. (And while he’s sure the others are more than capable of not getting dragged down with him, it’s still a risk he’s not fully willing to take.)

Before anyone can make suggestions, or express doubt as to whether fixing things is possible, or even change the subject to something a bit less possibly-connected to the decade-long mess they’ve just finished cleaning up, something changes once again.

It’s not as jarring as the shift between the normal world and the Dark Hour, or the moment when the others regained their memories, or even last night’s movement from one March thirty-first to the next, but there’s still an almost tangible shift in reality, one that none of them are able to miss.

First of all, there’s now a giant hole in the middle of the room, which is one of those things that really doesn’t go unnoticed for more than three years.

The second, more concerning, factor is the new person emerging from that hole.

The first feature that Shinjiro notices about her is a crimson mask shaped like a butterfly, with the edges of the scales lined in gold, standing out against the darker colors of her body. Still, this is really one of the less-weird things about her.

Because, once he’s managed to tear his gaze away from that one bright spot, she’s pretty obviously a robot. Would probably be recognizable as one even if he hadn’t spent a month as the only person Aigis would really talk to. (Something that hasn’t changed all too much. If he weren’t certain that she’s projecting before, he is now.)

Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapons don’t need to make facial expressions if they don’t want to. Even if this girl does want to, her face is hidden behind her mask, so it’s impossible to see what those expressions might be.

The rest of her body, however… Shinjiro didn’t make it on the streets for as long as he did without learning how to read body language, and he can tell just by looking at her that this girl is itching for a fight.

For the first time that morning, Aigis appears at the top of the stairs. “What is happening?” She asks, descending more quickly than would be strictly safe for anyone else.

“We’re not sure,” Yamagishi says. “She just… appeared.”

Aigis comes to a stop, her gaze entirely focused on the new arrival. “This is… The same model as me?”

The new robot turns to face her, speaking up for the first time. “You’re… Aigis?” This doesn’t make things any less confusing.

“...Yes. Who are you? What are you doing here?”

“I’m Metis. I’ve come to protect you.” This sounds incredibly ominous, 

“Protect me…?” Oh, good, she sounds just as confused as the rest of them.

Metis turns back to where most of SEES is standing together. “These people pose a threat to you,” She states, as clearly and simply as possible. There’s a ripple of blue light, and a red butterfly Persona appears behind her. “Therefore, they must be eliminated.”

Wonderful. Death threats before nine in the morning, and nobody has an Evoker within reach. Shinjiro’s not sure why he expected anything different.

* * *

  
  


Honestly, even without certain past events, it’s hard to fault Shinji for deciding not to let a robot built for combat beat up an eleven-year-old. If he didn’t, Akihiko would have.

It’s just that his precise method for doing so is something that could maybe use a little bit of work. Or a lot of it. Or anything that means Akihiko doesn’t have to watch his brother get hit with a table.

“Really glad I didn’t mail away all of my stuff now…” He sighs. “Ken, can you run upstairs and get my Evoker? It’s either on or in my desk right now… And you may as well grab yours, while you’re at it.” There’s a giant hole in the floor of the dormitory. This definitely merits investigation.

Ken nods, and runs up the stairs as quickly as he can. Whether it’s to be actually helpful, or to get away from Metis, is hard to tell.

With that settled, and Metis still immobile from overheating, Akihiko decides that the next priority is Shinji. “How are you feeling?” This probably wasn’t the right choice of words, but then, it’s not like he’s ever been any good at those.

“...I’ve had worse.” This is absolutely not reassuring in the slightest, and they both know it. “...Too soon?”

“Yes!” He forces himself to calm down before the lightning hidden beneath his skin can force its way to the surface. No. That would not be helpful right now. Sure, it’d probably keep Metis from being a threat again, but if Aigis is any good of an example, she’ll be stalled out for at least the next half hour. “Never say that again.”

“...Fine.” Shinji pretends to be annoyed by this, but it’s easy to see that he’s pretending. Mostly due to a sudden lack of eye contact. That only really seems to happen when he realizes he’s messed up. “Really, though, it’s nothing Diarahan won’t fix.”

“Diarahan can fix a lot of things, Shinji.” Really, a lot of the things he’s not sure it’d work on are things he hasn’t even tried. And for most of those, he’s never had the opportunity.

Shinji just shrugs, and winces, and privately, Akihiko thinks that Ken can’t get back with the Evokers quickly enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Metis. Metis, why do you want to single out Ken? He's eleven! Who just shows up to fight people and decides they want to start with the eleven-year-old? Go have a time out, and think about what you've done.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aigis is unconscious, Metis is still there, and nothing makes sense anymore, assuming it did to begin with.
> 
> So it's just another day, really.

Shinjiro tries his hardest not to flinch when Aki raises his Evoker, but doesn’t quite succeed. He doesn’t say a word, just allows fingers to bunch up in the fabric of a shirt that will probably have to be replaced if he doesn’t want to deal with awkward questions at the dry-cleaners. He’s lost a lot of good shirts this way, but somehow, this one feels worse than usual. (It’s because it isn’t really his.)

He looks away, tries to pretend he’s not bothered, and pushes away every sensation but that of the fastest, most effective healing he’s ever received. Simple enough, really, with all the practice he has at blocking out the world.

Maybe a bit too much practice. Even the healing is numbed, but then, it’s just like every other spell Aki’s used on him. No need to pay attention to the variety. What’s important is that the pain goes away. (Also that he’s not dripping blood all over the carpet, but that’s a secondary concern.)

“...Thanks,” He mumbles, still not looking up. He can see Aki shifting, reaching over to the nearest flat surface, and coming back without his Evoker. “You don’t have to-”

“I think we both know by now that I’m not going to stop caring just because you told me to.” Of course not. Not that Shinjiro has ever put that much effort towards pushing his brother away.

It’s not like he never considered it. When he was at his lowest point, it actually seemed like the right thing to do, to keep Aki from being hurt more later. He just couldn’t bring himself to actually do so.

It’s probably something that would work the other way around, too. Not that there’s any reason for them to ever find out.

Aki’s already leaving town in just a couple days. Why make things worse?

“Still, I…” He pauses, tries to get his words together, and then realizes that there really is no way for him to easily say this. Not that this is a new sensation. Communication has never been either of their strong points. “You shouldn’t have to do this.”

Shouldn’t have to heal him. Shouldn’t have to use magic to get him back on his feet. Shouldn’t be reaching for ways to conceal the source of his power just so he doesn’t freak out.

(Technically speaking, they shouldn’t be able to talk like this at all, but it’s not like either of them are complaining. Even when things are as messed-up as this, it’s still preferable to the alternative. At least neither of them has to feel alone.)

“Technically, I don’t have to do any of this stuff now,” Aki points out. “I’m still going to, though. Why wouldn’t I?”

Well, it’d be easier, for one, but Aki’s never been one to take the easy path, and Shinjiro knows it. So this is probably just going to be a thing that happens now. (Or not, because, soon, Aki is going to leave. And Shinjiro is somehow even less prepared for that than he is for this.)

It’s… really not that bad. He could get used to this.

* * *

  
  


Yukari shows up a little while later with no explanation for where she’s been for the past few days, bags under her eyes and the air around her strangely tense, preparing to follow her every movement.

Her Evoker is present, which is sort of confusing when she has no possible need for it, but Akihiko supposes they’ve all got their own ways of coping.

Admittedly, some of those ways are more effective than others, but he’s not about to tell anyone how to deal with their issues so long as they’re not stepping on his. This, also, is a lot easier in some cases than others.

“What happened here?” She asks, blinking as she takes in the broken table, the hole in the floor, and Metis’ presence under the watchful guard of Ken, who can probably be trusted to keep her stunned with electricity and not go any farther. (It’s probably a bad sign that they’re relying on an eleven-year-old’s impulse control, but Akihiko would be the first one to admit that he slips up sometimes, complete with a list of things that can possibly cause it. As of this morning, Aigis’ oddly-dressed, dark-colored doppelganger is currently on that list.)

He blinks. “Do you mean the hole, the robot, or the time thing? Either way, the answer is ‘we don’t know.’” They probably could ask Metis, she’s coherent again, but Akihiko’s pretty sure he’s not the person who should be having that conversation.

“...I knew it didn’t sound right when the news said it was March.” This is… somehow, he expected a more dramatic reaction. “What happened to Aigis.

He’s not sure how to explain this. Thankfully, Mitsuru is, and quickly acts to fill her in. Yukari doesn’t seem to be reassured by anything she hears.

“Really? But wait…” She glances from Aigis’ prone form, to Shinji and back again. “If Shinjiro-senpai has Minato’s body… and Aigis has his Persona… What happened to him?”

That is, of course, the ten-million-yen question, and has been since February, no matter how few of them were aware of it at that point. They don’t know. None of them even have any idea how Shinji is alive, except that the two things are probably connected.

(The simplest answer is that it was a straight switch, so that’s how Akihiko prefers to think of it. Mitsuru thinks that’s too easy, and comes up with a new theory every week. Shinjiro prefers not to think about it at all.)

Junpei glances up at her. “Pretty sure we can’t really answer that one, either.”

“Yeah… Yeah, I know. I’m just wondering.”

Akihiko wishes that he had an answer for her. But he doesn’t.

It’s questionable as to whether or not the world keeps spinning regardless.

* * *

  
  


Honestly, Shinjiro’s not sure that, just because Ken can shoot lightning at people, it’s a good idea to have the eleven-year-old in charge of watching the dangerous robot. He knows the kid can take care of himself, but agreement to start over or not, he still feels responsible for him. (Really, somebody has to be. It’s not like there are any reliable adults around.)

Even now that she can move again, Metis remains mostly still and silent, which isn’t really as concerning as the fact that she’s here in the first place. This time, if she tries anything, they’re not going to be taken by surprise.

Shinjiro’s aware that he maybe shouldn’t be any closer to her than necessary, being the least-equipped to fight against her of anyone still conscious, but nobody’s told him to move yet, so he’s just fine where he is.

Metis’ mask is up, allowing him to see her gaze flickering between himself and Ken. “You are dangerous,” She says, so quietly she might not have meant for it to be heard at all.

“Huh?” Ken looks at her a bit more closely, for once not focusing his attention on the parts of her that look like they’d be easiest to zap. (Shinjiro might not be one for magic, but he pays attention. It’s easy to pick stuff up, when there’s nothing to do but stand around and watch.)

“You pose a threat to Aigis, even beyond your powers over lightning.” Has anyone explicitly mentioned that’s one of Ken’s powers? Or is this just something that she knows without explanation. “Though… I’m not sure how I didn’t notice, but you’re not even the greatest threat. He is.”

And then her blood red eyes are on Shinjiro, and he wonders why he’s even surprised by this anymore. Never mind that he can’t so much as look at an Evoker without flinching, let alone summon the courage necessary to fire one.

Ken seems to have a similar opinion. “What do you mean?”

“...It’s because of this, isn’t it?” He takes a strand of dark blue hair, and twirls it around a finger, trying to pretend that it doesn’t bother him immensely. “Because it’s not like this was my idea.”

Metis doesn’t respond, which is really only to be expected. So he adds, “Also, I would hope you’d find me more threatening than an eleven-year-old.” (Does she know that he has no faith in his ability to use his own power? She can’t, right? But she also knows what Ken can do…)

“I’m right here…” Ken mumbles, though he doesn’t try and insist that he can, in fact, be threatening. Whether it’s that he’s decided it’s not worth the trouble, or if he’s trying to pretend that his last attempt at being threatening didn’t happen, Shinjiro doesn’t know or care. It all adds up to the same thing, either way.

There is still no response from Metis. Shinjiro decides this means it isn’t a good time to explain why she shouldn’t be picking fights with actual children, capability for Ziodyne and Hamaon or not.

Still, he should probably try and figure out what to say if that ever comes up again. Just in case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think there might actually be plot soon that isn't just Aki and Shinji constantly tripping over each other's boundaries. It had to happen eventually.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They encounter the Abyss of Time.

There is no wind in the Abyss of Time.

Of course there isn’t. This is a place outside of time, where nothing is allowed to truly move forward. It is still March thirty-first, and has been for the past three days.

It’s creepy. Even when Shinjiro was dead, even on nights when everything in the dormitory was still as the world ticked into the Dark Hour and out of it again, even when the only movement was that of a bored and lonely ghost, time would still pass.

Here, it does not. And that’s not how things should be. (And yet, it feels familiar, in a way that Shinjiro can’t quite pin down. One that he’s sort of afraid to, if only because looking into it could eventually mean admitting that a pair of outlandish stories had actually happened. And he's nothing if not stubborn.)

It feels wrong for Shinjiro to be standing here, even more than it does for him to be standing anywhere, and yet he still doesn’t want to look away from the expanse in front of him.

“You know… It feels like there should be a lot more here,” He states, staring out at a world where there is nothing, and no one, except for the people gathered around him. “Except, well, that wouldn’t be a good thing, would it? Time would still be messed up.”

“That, or we could be on the way to fixing it,” Metis adds. Whether or not she knows which one it is, she doesn’t say. “You won’t know until it happens.”

That isn’t exactly reassuring. But then, this isn’t a place for reassurance. It’s a place that just is, with no regard for the consequences of its own existence.

Yamagishi stands enveloped in Juno, in the spot that Shinjiro knows, without being told, is the desert’s center. Eventually, the Persona vanishes, collapsing into a bright blue light that returns to her body.

“I’ve looked beyond the door,” She states, apprehensively, walking back to the stairs and slipping her Evoker out of sight. (Shinjiro finds himself breathing easier, and hates that he does.) “I’m not sure just how far it goes, but… There’s a large number of Shadows there.”

Figures. That always seems to be the answer for why things go weird. Especially when it involves the flow of time. He doesn’t know why Shadows seem to stop time from running properly, it’s just a thing that happens.

It’s not like there’s anyone he can ask about it. There might have been someone, at one point, but he’s still pretty sure he was just making shit up. (He refuses to believe otherwise.)

The others, meanwhile, are somehow surprised about the presence of Shadows. As if the Dark Hour was the only place they could ever exist. As if they’ve never looked in a mirror and caught sight of a fleeting hint of gold.

But then, maybe it’s just him. It’s not like he’s ever really fit the SEES mold, he just repeatedly squished himself in there for the sake of someone else. And now he may have to keep doing so.

And this time, he can’t even go to bed early and forget about it.

* * *

  
  


Even with how surprisingly little there is to see, there are still options. “I’ll take Iori and Koromaru to try and find some source of food,” Mitsuru decides. “We shouldn’t be doing more than poking around the edges of the Abyss, but…” But there could still be Shadows, and food is too important to ignore for longer than they have already. “For the most part, the rest of you should be trying to get as far in as possible.”

“What about me?” Shinjiro asks. There really is no point in pretending that she doesn’t definitely mean him. There’s not a lot of room on this sort of battlefield for someone with his particular set of issues. (That doesn’t mean there isn’t any. But it’s enough for others to write him off, and even though he can see their point, he’s slightly offended all the same.)

Just by looking at her, it’s clear that Mitsuru hasn’t thought that far ahead. “I would suggest that you search for useful documents, but even if the Kirijo Group has ever possessed information on this place, it would most likely have been lost a decade ago.” It’s good to know she’s being realistic about this.

“So, then what am I supposed to do? I’m not going to just sit around here on my own.” Sure, there’s Yamagishi, but she can barely spare a few seconds to talk to people when there’s just one group she’s supervising. That doesn’t exactly count as good company. (It would be familiar in all of the worst ways.)

“Well, I wouldn’t recommend you go exploring. Even the entrance of Tartarus was never completely safe from Shadows, and while the presence of doors may act as a deterrent, it’s best to be cautious.”

“Even if they did show up, it’s not like I’m helpless,” He points out. He might not have quite the same strength as before, but just having Castor- summoned in battle or not- can make up for a lot of that, and sometimes Shadows have tried attacking him, only to tear themselves apart instead. (And if he does get hurt, well, he heals faster than anyone save for Iori. So he thinks it should still be fine.)

“Yes, but I’m also not about to ask you to wield an Evoker.” He wonders if she knows just how relieving those words are. He’s pretty sure he’s never actually mentioned it to her. (She noticed. It doesn’t take much to figure out why he wouldn’t be comfortable with that.)

Still, as glad as he is that this particular issue of his is being taken into account, he’s still being left alone. Which is the last thing he wants right now.

“Look, Arisato had a lot of gems and shit left over from Tartarus, right? Those don’t need an Evoker, just a good throwing arm. And nobody touched my weapons or anything, so I can still use those.” It’s funny. He used to find any excuse he could to stay off the battlefield, and now it’s all he can do to argue his way back onto it.

He hopes nobody asks why he still has Arisato’s bags of combat supplies.

“Would there happen to be any Traesto Gems in the pile?” Good. He’s glad that they’ve started to come to an understanding.

“Should be. Haven’t looked too closely, but they’re the ones he wouldn’t use if there was another option, right? They’re probably about half of the stockpile.” Arisato’s hoarding tendencies were something that Shinjiro will never claim to understand, but they had their uses. Like now.

Mitsuru narrows her eyes. “If the enemy gets to a point you’re not sure you can handle, or you run out of attacking items, come straight back.”

“I can do that.” All he has to do is claim first dibs on anything they find, and avoid using items when possible. As long as he does that, there’s no reason he shouldn’t be able to stay with everyone else. (Well, unless they’re the type to pick fights over a bunch of magic rocks, but he thinks he would have noticed sooner if they were.)

“...Akihiko. Please keep an eye on him.” Shinjiro resists the urge to groan. He doesn’t need a babysitter, especially not one who happens to be his little brother. If he complains, though, she might just decide to involve Ken, and that’d be even worse.

Besides, this is one of the last chances they’ll get to spend time together for a while, anyway. They might as well take it.

* * *

  
  


Akihiko has mixed feelings about bringing Shinji with them into the Abyss of Time. It’s not that he doesn’t think he can take care of himself, or anything. It’s just that he also knows the chances of his brother backing down from anything, even when it would be a really good idea, are a lot lower than they should be. (This may or may not be his fault.)

Still, he’s not about to start a fight over this. Right now, that’s the last thing he wants. So he doesn’t argue.

When they return to the desert, there is still only one door, sitting there waiting for someone to open it. A shadowy figure stands in front of that door, so distorted that he can’t make it out.

Before Akihiko can try and get a closer look the figure turns and vanishes through the door.

“...What do you think that was?” Shinji asks, his face conveying more interest than he maybe meant it to. Akihiko shrugs.

“Maybe we’ll find out later,” He suggests. “I mean, where else is there to go?”

Not that they go in right away. Aigis wants to see how far she can make it out into the desert. (The answer is, farther than she should be able to when there’s nothing there. Nobody says anything about it, of course, because none of them know what their team dynamic is supposed to be like. Very few of them even know what it’s like, to fight in a group without Minato.)

Still, eventually they have to go through the door, to a place where, once again, they have to fight Shadows without an end in sight.

At least this time, if they’re lucky, maybe things will actually be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to imagine that the first few floors mostly involve Shinji trying to figure out what gem does what. He knows what Traesto Gems are, but he's a lot less familiar with the other kinds.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They start finding their way through the Abyss of time, and eventually find themselves somewhere else.

In all honesty, Shinjiro’s not sure the compromise he worked out was the best idea. He’s seen people fight Shadows regularly enough, but the fact remains that it’s been half a year since he’s taken to the battlefield himself, Arisato’s muscle memory is all wrong for his style of combat, and most of his mental fortitude goes to pretending that everyone’s Evokers don’t exist. (Also, most of his attacks come in the form of magical gems, and he’s always been shit at magic. But that much, at least, he can ignore under the justification that at least he’s contributing.)

So maybe the situation’s not ideal. But the thing is, he can’t even admit to that out loud, because while he’d known going in that this was probably a bad idea, he doesn’t want to have to deal with ‘I-told-you-so’s from just about everyone who knows him.

And if he lets himself think about it, it’s still better than sitting in an empty room, with only someone who would barely ever respond to a thing he said for company. But that bit’s depressing, so he tries not to let himself think about it.

“Was it like this in Tartarus?” He asks, and he isn’t sure if he’s talking about the size of the floors, or the varieties of Shadows, or even just the feel of the place. Or even about fighting in a unit. He never had much time to get used to that.

Aki shrugs, which is probably the best answer he’s ever gonna get. “I mean, some of us don’t fight the same.”

(At those words, Shinjiro feels fingers tightening on the Bufula Gem he’s holding. Yes, of course he’s doing things differently. What else is he supposed to do?)

“The floors are larger here,” Aigis adds, and he'd thought it was something like that, but it’s sort of nice to have confirmation. “And this is… not a group that usually formed.”

He doesn’t know if she’s talking about Metis’ presence, the fact that Arisato never put the two of them on the same team, or the fact that Arisato isn’t here to begin with. Maybe it’s all three, though two-thirds of that would be just singling him out.

“The danger levels are unchanged,” Metis adds, and he doesn’t even bother to wonder how she knows that. This whole day took a turn for the bizarre three days ago.

He shoves a hand in a pocket, lets a finger brush against the watch he has sitting there. “Good to know,” He replies, and even he doesn’t recognize his own tone, for more reasons than this not being his voice. (He reminds himself that he’s not a stranger to any of this, that danger is normal for all of them, that in the very worst case, he is living proof of an afterlife. None of it makes it any easier.)

Then the next group of Shadows appears, and the conversation fades, never to appear again, lost in the haze of lightning and everything else.

While Shinjiro would rather be here than anywhere else, it’s by a very slim margin indeed.

* * *

  
  


The facsimile of the Paulownia Mall, despite how similar it is to the real thing, is arguably the most disturbing thing about this whole situation. Probably because most of the time, when Shadows do things, it’s more obvious in how not right it is.

Everyone’s looking around, enjoying having space to move around with little fear of being attacked, and Akihiko has to admit to himself that it’s sort of relaxing.

At the same time… it’s not exactly simple, either. Sure, all the shops Minato used in the mall are open to them, but none of them have much clue how much things cost, even if the exploration has swelled up the SEES funds to even more than what they already had. (Given how the SEES funds are probably going to be the dorm’s budget for the next year, this is sort of relieving, but it’s still weird that they have enough to live off of. Assuming, of course, that filling up the first aid kit doesn’t drain it all.)

Thankfully, most of them still have their weapons from before. It would be very hard for them to explain the sudden acquisition of so many new members, but that doesn’t mean no new weapons are needed.

Among other things, Metis just has the things she came in with, and Shinji hasn’t had an equipment upgrade since… well. Since the last time he was regularly fighting. (Akihiko isn’t sure the word ‘since’ really applies here, if it’s frozen in June, but he doesn’t let himself think about that. They can’t even leave the mall, so why does the date outside of it matter? He doesn’t even know the answer when he asks himself.)

So Akihiko stands in the police box with Aigis, and the two of them pick over budgeting details together while happily ignoring the fact that there is literally nothing currently outside of their price range, and how the current selection isn’t actually limited to the stuff that was there in June.

There’s axes and hammers of types that he didn’t know existed, and they have to get two, and between Akihiko’s basic budgeting knowledge and Aigis’ knowledge of weapon specifications, they have about half an idea of what they actually want.

And yeah, sure, they could just let their siblings come in and shop for themselves, but Metis has never been to a mall before and Shinji disappeared into the pharmacy surprisingly quickly, and there’s such a thing as being efficient. (Besides. Neither of them have much in the way of family. They’re allowed to want to do nice things for what little they have. Even if Aigis just met Metis. Even if getting honest displays of emotion from Shinji is like pulling teeth sometimes.)

Part of what confirms, for Akihiko, that this can’t be real, is how no one questions a thing. Not even the fact that he’s therewith a robot that they wouldn’t have met yet, trying to figure out how weapon shopping works. He’s at least capable of remembering that these things aren’t normal to everyone.

They’re not even really normal to him. And that’s probably the part of this that scares him the most.

* * *

  
  


It’s June now.

The words replay themselves in Shinjiro’s mind, more than once, despite his general pleading for it to just shut off. His mind has never really listened to him, though.

He tries telling himself that it doesn’t matter what the date is. The world outside of the mall is unreachable, if it even exists at all. (He’s not sure if it would be better or worse if it didn’t.)

But he still thinks about it. It’s June, here. In this pocket of time, they haven’t met Aigis yet, the Dark Hour is still a thing, and Ken may or may not be ten years old.

The watch Aki gave back to him hasn’t even been lost yet.

Shinjiro doesn’t really remember what he was doing back in June. He doesn’t think there was a lot going on back then, at least that was memorable enough to take note of the date.

But the fact remains that this is a time before October. In the most recent June that actually happened, his old body was still alive. And he can’t help but wonder if, beyond these walls that none of them can leave, there’s another him out there, wandering around and making terrible life choices as time ticks closer to a date he’d already come to dread.

(He wonders, just as much, if he has a body double. The actual Arisato, with a questionable hairstyle and likely well on the way to assembling his harem. He likes that thought even less than he does the idea of another him.)

He pushes those thoughts out of his mind again and focuses on the shelf before him. If someone were to ask him to name his exact hair color, he’d never be able to tell them, but he should be able to figure it out on sight, right? It hasn’t been that long, even if it never fell in front of his face and ghosts can’t see themselves in mirrors.

He’d ask one of the others for help, but… well, he still hasn't fully decided that he’s actually going through with it yet. This is just so that he has the option.

If only he could properly remember what that option was supposed to be.

“Is this what you’re looking for?” A dark-skinned hand holds something out to him, and he takes it without thinking. The color looks to be about right, and he could always check it against an old photo…

And then he realizes who handed it to him. “Zen!?” He thinks he’d call this guy a friend, maybe, even if he tends to go on about stuff that he just can’t believe. “What are you doing here?”

“Time doesn’t have as much meaning in this place as it should. It doesn’t take that much effort for me to be here, though others… would not find it so simple.” Case in point.

“Still going on about that kind of thing, huh?” It’s not even a surprise. Shinjiro doesn’t think anything could make Zen not be this way. So insistent in what he thinks happened. (Honestly, though, as much as he refuses to believe him… it’s hard not to admit that time is clearly all sorts of messed up right now.) “Look, thanks for the help and stuff, but I really don’t need anyone to tell me about how fucked up things are right now. Just look at me.”

And Zen does. He actually takes a step back to do so, which is probably a relief for both of them. Neither of them really enjoy invasions of their personal space. “...Are you all right?”

This is probably the first time someone’s asked him that since… well. He can’t remember what the last time really was. “I mean, I’m alive. That’s something. You see Arisato, tell him that I’m going to kick his ass.” And if Zen’s already usually neutral face closes off a bit more at those words, well, he doesn’t pay much attention to it.

“I… will take that into consideration. I hope your new life brings you happiness.” And then he turns, and walks away, and he’s not around the corner when Shinjiro follows him to check.

“...Yeah. Me too.” He goes to the counter to check out the hair dye. Zen’s seen him as himself probably more than he himself has in months, so it’s probably close enough. Not that he’ll know for sure unless he tries using it.

He can’t even say that’s the strangest conversation he’s ever had. He sort of wonders what that says about him. (Probably that he’s never going to get the normal life he’d wanted. But he gave up on that back before his old life ended, so that’s not even a surprise, really.)

He tells himself that it doesn’t matter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Answer's Paulownia Mall being frozen in June wasn't something I expected to spend so much time thinking about, but here we are.


End file.
